Step-down skeletal muscle energy conversion system
Granted: November 16, 1999
Patent Number:
5984857
This invention provides a simple skeletal muscle linear pull energy convertor which can harness the maximal amount of muscle power for a wide variety of implantable medical devices, including the full range of circulatory support devices. The muscle powered system provides completely implantable circulatory support as an alternative to cardiac transplantation, with a quality of life relatively free from external batteries, transcutaneous energy transmission and other electromechanical…
Compositions that soften at predetermined temperatures and the method of making same
Granted: September 29, 1998
Patent Number:
5814705
The present invention provides a composition that softens at a predetermined temperature, preferably between about 20.degree. C. and 90.degree. C., and more preferably between about 20.degree. C. and about 62.degree. C., comprising at least one block copolymer having at least two thermal transition temperatures. The composition is characterized by at least two thermal transition temperatures, one of which is a predetermined lower transition temperature, preferably between about…
Driver and method for driving pneumatic ventricular assist devices
Granted: June 16, 1998
Patent Number:
5766207
A driver for at least one pneumatically-actuated ventricular assist device (VAD), includes a portable housing which encloses a single pump for performing blood-filling and blood-emptying operations of the VAD, a switching valve for alternately communicating the inlet and outlet of the pump with the VAD, a vacuum relief device for subjecting the VAD to negative pressure when performing blood-filling, a battery, and a controller for controlling operation of the driver. The use of a single…
Surface-modifying copolymers having cell adhesion properties
Granted: March 31, 1998
Patent Number:
5733538
A hemocompatible surface-modifying additive is provided for modifying polyurethane or polyurethane urea substrates. The additive has a polyurethane or polyurethane urea hard block or an alternative block which is miscible with the poly(urethane) or poly(urethane-urea) base polymer, a polysiloxane hydrophobic soft block, an optional hydrophilic spacer and a peptide selected from the group consisting of Arg-Gly-Asp, X-Arg-Gly-Asp, Arg-Gly-Asp-X and X-Arg-Gly-Asp-X', wherein X and X' are…
Step-down skeletal muscle energy conversion system
Granted: December 30, 1997
Patent Number:
5701919
This invention provides a simple skeletal muscle linear pull energy convertor which can harness the maximal amount of muscle power for a wide variety of implantable medical devices, including the full range of circulatory support devices. The muscle powered system provides completely implantable circulatory support as an alternative to cardiac transplantation, with a quality of life relatively free from external batteries, transcutaneous energy transmission and other electromechanical…
Step-down skeletal muscle energy conversion method
Granted: August 5, 1997
Patent Number:
5653676
This invention provides a simple skeletal muscle linear pull energy convertor which can harness the maximal amount of muscle power for a wide variety of implantable medical devices, including the full range of circulatory support devices. The muscle powered system provides completely implantable circulatory support as an alternative to cardiac transplantation, with a quality of life relatively free from external batteries, transcutaneous energy transmission and other electromechanical…
Compositions that soften at predetermined temperatures and the method of making same
Granted: April 9, 1996
Patent Number:
5506300
The present invention provides a composition that softens at a predetermined temperature, preferably between about 20.degree. C. and 90.degree. C., and more preferably between about 20.degree. C. and about 62.degree. C., comprising at least one block copolymer having at least two thermal transition temperatures. The composition is characterized by at least two thermal transition temperatures, one of which is a predetermined lower transition temperature, preferably between about…
Step-down skeletal muscle energy conversion system
Granted: September 6, 1994
Patent Number:
5344385
This invention provides a simple skeletal muscle linear pull energy convertor which can harness the maximal amount of muscle power for a wide variety of implantable medical devices, including the full range of circulatory support devices. The muscle powered system provides completely implantable circulatory support as an alternative to cardiac transplantation, with a quality of life relatively free from external batteries, transcutaneous energy transmission and other electromechanical…
Polysiloxane-polylactone block copolymers
Granted: August 10, 1993
Patent Number:
5235003
Novel linear polysiloxane-polyacetone block copolymers are useful as surface modifying additives due in part to their miscibility with a wide variety of base polymers. A particularly preferred polysiloxane-polycaprolactone linear blocked copolymer is miscible with nylon and is useful for forming surface modified nylon products.
Polysiloxane-polylactone block copolymers
Granted: October 16, 1990
Patent Number:
4963595
Novel linear polysiloxane-polylactone block copolymers are useful as surface modifying additives due in part to their miscibility with a wide variety of base polymers. A particularly preferred polysiloxane-polycaprolactone linear blocked copolymer is miscible with nylon and is useful for forming surface modified nylon products.
Arterial graft prosthesis
Granted: March 15, 1988
Patent Number:
4731073
An arterial graft prosthesis comprises a first interior zone of a solid, segmented polyether-polyurethane material surrounded by a second zone of a porous, segmented polyether-polyurethane and a third zone immediately surrounding said second zone and of a solid, segmented polyether-polyurethane. The interior zone may have a lining or blood interface of a microporous zone of segmented polyether-polyurethane, and the exterior, third zone may be surrounded by a tissue interface of a…
Hydroxyl-functional disiloxanes and polysiloxane oligomers
Granted: August 25, 1987
Patent Number:
4689383
Hydroxyl-functional disiloxanes and hydroxyl-functional polysiloxane oligomers are provided which contain hydroxyl groups bound to the silicon via Si--C bonds. These compounds may be crosslinked to form polysiloxane networks having improved mechanical strength or reacted to form linear, siloxane containing block copolymers.
Moisture vapor permeable materials
Granted: August 11, 1987
Patent Number:
4686137
Polymeric materials are provided characterized by hard segments and copolymer soft blocks comprising hydrophobic and hydrophilic components. The polymeric materials may be mixed with a base polymer and/or inorganic salts. The polymeric materials and mixtures containing same are characterized by improved moisture vapor transmission rates. The polymeric materials may be formed into films for use as wound dressings, burn dressings, surgical drapes, semipermeable membranes, and coatings for…
Polymer systems suitable for blood-contacting surfaces of a biomedical device, and methods for forming
Granted: June 23, 1987
Patent Number:
4675361
A polymer admixture is formed from a base polymer and thermoplastic copolymer additive including polar hard segments and polar and nonpolar soft blocks in graft or block copolymer form. The polymer admixture is characterized by increased contact angle hysteresis and is formed into blood and tissue-contacting surfaces of a biomedical device or into textiles. A preferred additive comprises a segmented block copolymer having polydialkylsiloxanes as nonpolar soft blocks, and a polyurethane…
Electronic control system for a cardiac prosthesis
Granted: May 5, 1987
Patent Number:
4662358
An electronic control system for controlling the operation of a cardiac prosthesis is disclosed. The cardiac prosthesis includes dominant and subordinate ventricles which receive blood in response to body requirements and an actuation device coupled to the ventricles for ejecting blood from the ventricles. The electronic control system includes sensing devices to determine the volume of blood in the ventricles as a function of time. A control device, which in the preferred embodiment is…
Polysiloxane-polylactone block copolymers
Granted: May 5, 1987
Patent Number:
4663413
Novel linear polysiloxane-polylactone block copolymers are useful as surface modifying additives due in part to their miscibility with a wide variety of base polymers. A particularly preferred polysiloxane-polycaprolactone linear blocked copolymer is miscible with nylon and is useful for forming surface modified nylon products.
Polysiloxane/poly(oxazoline) copolymers
Granted: April 21, 1987
Patent Number:
4659777
Novel block copolymers are provided, comprising poly(oxazoline) blocks and polysiloxane blocks. Novel polysiloxane intermediates for preparing such block copolymers are also provided which contain benzyl halide terminal groups. The block copolymers are useful as surface-modifying additives for base polymers.
Arterial graft prosthesis
Granted: August 12, 1986
Patent Number:
4604762
An arterial graft prosthesis comprises a first interior zone of a solid, segmented polyether-polyurethane material surrounded by a second zone of a porous, segmented, polyether-polyurethane and a third zone immediately surrounding said second zone and of a solid, segmented polyether-polyurethane. The interior zone may have a lining or blood interface of a microporous zone of segmented polyether-polyurethane, and the exterior, third zone may be surrounded by a tissue interface of a…
Safety control valve for an artificial heart
Granted: December 24, 1985
Patent Number:
4559648
A safety drive for an artificial heart, if the right drive should fail it is simply put out of operation, while if the left drive fails, the right drive, which is still functioning, is switched over to the left circulatory pump and thus serves as a system-internal backup drive.
Autotransfusion system with anticoagulant delivery system
Granted: November 5, 1985
Patent Number:
4551131
A movable blood aspiration wand, especially for use in autotransfusion, carries with it a tank for anticoagulant replenished from an anticoagulant source fixed at a high source and is connected to a blood reservoir at a low elevation. Differences in wand height relative to the source and to the blood reservoir are compensated for, so that differences in wand height and corresponding blood and anticoagulant head do not substantially vary the anticoagulant proportion added to the aspirated…